KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — Troubled 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) today reaffirmed its commitment to "fully cooperate" with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), amid speculation by opposition leaders that the state-owned firm's current and former chief executives might skip out again on their hearings scheduled for the first week of August.
The company stressed that it has not budged from its commitment to attend the hearings before the PAC despite alleged speculations by DAP MPs Lim Kit Siang and Tony Pua claiming otherwise.
“It is clear that the speculation today by both individuals is to divert attention from the recent heavy criticism of YB Tony Pua, a member of the PAC, for his many statements that may be seen as prejudging 1MDB although the PAC process has yet to be completed,” 1MDB said in a brief statement.
“1MDB has every confidence in the PAC process and trust that the honorable members will carry out their role in a fair and professional manner,” the firm added.
Earlier today, Lim questioned calls for Tony Pua to quit the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the latter’s open criticism of 1MDB, claiming that it could end up being used as an excuse by the debt-ridden firm’s top executives to skip out on scheduled hearings before the PAC.
Lim queried if 1MDB group executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy and the firm’s former CEO Datuk Shahrol Halmi will be walking out of and boycotting the PAC hearings on 1MDB, based on Pua’s PAC membership and alleged “biased” stance.
On Friday, Pua accused prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah of leading an insidious campaign for his removal from Parliament’s PAC in an attempt to muzzle him from raising questions on 1MDB.
The opposition MP noted that the Umno-linked lawyer’s call that he withdraw from the parliamentary panel as reported by Berita Harian has been picked up by the Barisan Nasional (BN) Backbencher’s Club chief Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad, who suggested that the former testify as a witness instead.
